Creating A Legacy – Convening for Action in Metro Vancouver – Feb 2010
Hosted by the City of Surrey, the Forum was a first step in advancing a regional team approach to align municipal actions in Metro Vancouver with provincial green infrastructure goals.
“Have a look at some of the Water Balance Model slideshow presentations that have been made to industry and government groups starting in 2001. This includes some of the early presentations on the Water Balance Methodology that helped pave the way for the paradigm-shift from 'peak flow thinking' to 'volume-based thinking',” stated Kim Stephens.
The Inter-Governmental Partnership (IGP) has released the Preliminary Agenda for the Water Balance Model Partners Forum to be held on February 29. The Forum will be the formal launch of the Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO, and will be hosted by the District of North Vancouver in a ‘Town Hall’ setting.
Three provincial Ministries and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans have formed a Vancouver Island Coordinating Team to facilitate a consistent, science-based approach to rainwater management on Vancouver Island. Implementation is keyed to use of the Water Balance Model for British Columbia.The objective in aligning efforts is to advance the state-of-the-practice in rainwater management on Vancouver Island.
Published in 2002, “Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia” was a catalyst for change that has resulted in British Columbia achieving international recognition as a leader in implementing a natural systems approach to rainwater management. “Beyond the Guidebook” is an initiative that builds on this foundation by advancing a runoff-based approach and tool – the ‘Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO' – to help local governments achieve desired urban stream health and environmental protection outcomes at a watershed scale.
Because use of the Water Balance Model for British Columbia can facilitate better land use decisions and ‘greener design’, the Green Infrastructure Partnership has embraced the tool as an element of its Outreach and Continuing Education Program; and is collaborating with the Inter-Governmental Partnership to promote use of the tool province-wide.
The Water Balance Model for Canada is being integrated with QUALHYMO in order to provide practitioners with a ‘runoff-based tool’ for source control evaluation and stream health assessment. The ‘runoff-based approach’ holds the key to assessing environmental impacts in watercourses and the effectiveness of mitigation techniques. The desire to mitigate environmental impacts has provided a driver for the “Water Balance Model powered by QUALHYMO”.
Representatives from the Caribou Regional District and six Central Interior municipalities participated in an October 2004 workshop on sustainable planning that was organized by Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation and hosted by the City of Quesnel. The Big Ideas workshop featured numerous examples of succcessful practices from municipalities within BC and across Canada. A principal focus was on the Water Balance Model.
The early success of the Water Balance Model in British Columbia, particularly in promoting an understanding of how to achieve a light ‘hydrologic footprint’, generated interest in expanding the focus of the tool to reach a national audience. The province of Alberta, being British Columbia”s eastern neighbour, was approached by the British Columbia Inter-Governmental Partnership in August 2004 to form the first inter-provincial partnership.
The Credit River watershed is in one of the most rapidly urbanizing parts of Canada, adjacent to the Greater Toronto area and includes parts of the municipalities of Mississauga and Brampton. The Credit River Water Management Strategy (CRWMS) is aimed at ensuring “abundant, safe and clean water” now and in the future for both the people and wildlife within the Credit River watershed.
